Police find $40 million drug lab at former Queensland cattle station

A vehicle search at the bottom of the Toowoomba Range has led police to a southwest Queensland drug operation worth $40 million. See inside the enormous setup police busted.

Police have uncovered a major southwest Queensland drug operation at a former cattle station, leading to the seizure of nearly $40 million in cannabis and the arrest of seven men.

Toowoomba Police, with assistance from Drug and Serious Crime Group and Proston Police on Friday raided a property at Boondooma, about 110 kilometres north west of Kingaroy.

Police footage after officers uncovered a cannabis operation worth nearly $40 million in southwest Queensland.

Inside the station, police say they found several large greenhouses measuring approximately 130m by 60m.

Officers located and seized approximately 15680 cannabis plants and 50kg of dried cannabis, along with generators, hydroponic and other equipment police will allege was being used to grow cannabis on a large scale.

Police footage after officers uncovered a cannabis operation worth nearly $40 million in southwest Queensland.

The street value of the cannabis is estimated to be $39.9 million.

Seven men – a 42-year-old, a 46-year-old, a 35-year-old, a 41-year-old, a 43-year-old, a 40-year-old and a 36-year-old – were arrested during the police raid.

The enormous operation was uncovered after police intercepted a vehicle back in July on the Warrego Highway at Helidon.

Police allegedly found 200kg of cannabis when they stopped a vehicle on the Warrego Highway.

Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found about 200 kilograms of processed cannabis.

Police said they would allege the drug was being transported from the property they later raided.

All cannabis plants seized as part of the investigation have been destroyed and hydroponic equipment dismantled.

Investigations are continuing.

Drug and Serious Crime Group Detective Inspector Brad Phelps said the huge marijuana supply was likely going to be distributed through much of Australia, with the Burnett site suspected as being just one in a much larger operation.

“Certainly it would appear that this is part of a very large organised crime syndicate, and this may be one tentacle of that syndicate,” he said.

“Our investigations are ongoing, but we suspect that a lot of profits and proceeds from this were being sent overseas.”

Police footage after officers uncovered a cannabis operation worth nearly $40 million in southwest Queensland.

Back in May police arrested five men after they uncovered a $1.7 million cannabis plantation in the Lockyer Valley.